IPS Inter Press Service is moving its international headquarters to new offices at the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) headquarters building in Rome, Italy. IPS has been located in an historic listed building in Via Panisperna since 1965 and thousands of visitors to IPS over the decades enjoyed its frescoed walls and ceilings, courtyard fountain and unique ambience.

Mario Lubetkin, IPS Director General, said “It is a wrench for IPS to leave Via Panisperna but looking to the future we need modern, multi-media facilities and this new agreement with FAO is an exciting, cost-effective way for us to do that while remaining in the centre of Rome.”

IPS already has offices at U.N. Headquarters in New York and at the U.N. in Geneva and Vienna. The hosting agreements all underline the independence of IPS’ core business, its professional news agency. IPS began as a print news agency but has been stepping up its multi-media capacities. Last month in Rio IPS announced the forthcoming launch of IPS WebTV.